Expectations
by music.ribbons
Summary: (Modern AU; Slight Chrobin) Lon'qu is the youngest world champion of Chon'sin's sword martial art, Han'do, and he hates all the attention he is showered with. Robin was one of the most prodigious pianists in the classical world until she could no longer play the piano. Despite from being different worlds, their lives intertwine. (Next Update: July 2, 2017)
1. A Day in the Life

**A/N:** I actually started this last year, but never published it because I felt bad that I should've made more progress on Pursuit and Sunflower...but I've always wanted to write a strictly Lon'qu x Robin story. And of course it's a Modern AU. It wouldn't be musicribbons, if it wasn't a Modern AU. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Day in the Life**

Classes hadn't even started and Master Yen'fay expressed his deep satisfaction with the team's condition on their first day back from the summer break, aside from Lon'qu and Min. The email was polite, but it was still intimidating.

When Lon'qu showed up for their first official practice, Master Yen'fay had introduced ladder drills on top for their warm-up regiment of running laps around the campus, fifty push-ups, fifty sit-ups, and fifty burpees. After, there were a hundred of each straight, left, right, horizontal, and upward cuts. Then, they were expected to do all the forms and sword methods.

Everyone behind Lon'qu and Min was already out of breath and panting once they started the ladder drills. This was nothing compared to the training he had to go through for the Arena Games, where the best athletes around the world came to compete in a variety of sports. Han'do—the sword martial art of Chon'sin—was one of the sports held at the Arena Games. Chon'sin couldn't afford to lose in their own sport at the international level. That was utterly dishonourable to the art of Han'do, their history, and to Chon'sin. Thus, since the year that Han'do became an official Arena sport, Chon'sin athletes had taken gold every time in all divisions.

"Pick up the pace! We still have five hundred cuts after this!" barked Yen'fay.

In, in, out, out. In, in, out, out.

Lon'qu focused on ensuring to not miss a step in the spaces of the ladder. He paced his breathing and when he made it to the end, he jogged back to the start and stood behind the line.

It felt a little past six thirty. He hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Lon'qu tugged the ends of the belt, an odd habit he had developed. He actually preferred his other Han'do uniform more. When he was at the university, he was required to where the thick white short-sleeved traditional shirt, loose flowing gray pants, and a black belt that had his name on one end and five gold stripes on the other end. When Lon'qu and Min trained with Basilio and Flavia at the Arena Games Training Centre in Chon'sin, they wore their completely black uniforms.

One by one, the members of the Han'do team finished up their last drill. Yen'fay announced a quick water break. Everyone dispersed to grab some water, while Yen'fay cleared away the ladders laid out on the floor. After, everyone grabbed their swords and organized themselves in the order of belt rank and experience, which put Lon'qu at the top left corner of the dojo.

* * *

"And you're here on a student visa..." The airport immigration worker stared at her Plegian password without an ounce of interest. "Miss Robin Grima?"

"Yup! For the year." Robin grinned, hoping that would persuade the airport employee that she wasn't going bomb the airport.

The immigration worker continued to stare at her passport and then back at her.

Robin tried to maintain a positive aura, but she was starting to get irritated. "Look, I know I look different. I cut my hair and grew out my bangs. It's an old photo. I also lost about fifty pounds."

He put the passport down flipped to a random page and stamped it. Robin cringed. He just fucking opened the middle of the passport instead of just using the next ordered page of the visa. That was going to bother her. He handed the passport back to her.

She forced a smile and tucked the passport into her bag. "Thank you."

The time difference from Plegia and Chon'sin was started to catch up to her. She never slept well on planes. She actually didn't sleep at all. Robin dragged her feet to the information board to find what carousel her luggage would come out of. She scanned the arrival destinations and spotted 'Goetia' was Carousel 13.

Tired or not, Robin could feel the air was different in Chon'sin. She smiled. It was nice to finally get away from Plegia, even if it was for one year. Robin descended down to the lower floor by escalator and saw a variety of ads playing on flashy screen. Even Carousel 13 had a couple screens playing advertisements.

Robin yawned and blinked at it, waiting for the carousel to start turning, delivering the luggage to the new arrivals. On the screen, a serious young man with dark, thick head of hair stepped out from the shadows into a spotlight. He wore a cold, focused expression and a sculpted nose with lips pulled into a thin line. His brow was slightly furrowed as if he was assessing his surroundings. He was dressed in a black martial arts uniform with a sword by his side.

He knelt down and then he immediately stood up, drawing the sword at his side. The camera angle changed to his side and he began a complicated series of cuts and transitions. At certain parts of the ad, it slowed down, emphasizing his grace and strength. In the bottom right corner of the commercial, there was a white caption in fine font: 'Lon'qu Sun: Han'do World Champion'.

Robin frowned as she watched the video. The guy kind of looked familiar for some reason. Gods, she needed sleep. Then it clicked. She _had_ seen the guy on TV. He was on the news, a couple gold medals dangling from his neck, giving a short interview.

As the commercial approached its end, he sheated his sword and knelt back down. Then some brand logo of a star appeared and the word 'I. M. Possible ' right underneath it.

"I never get sick of that commercial." Some girl on the phone near Robin gushed into the phone. "You know the one with Lon-Lon in it? The new 'I'm Possible' or 'Impossible' commerical? I never know how to say it. My hubby is so hot. I purposely applied to Shu'an U because he went there."

Robin gave the crazed girl a funny look. Was she actually his wife? She barely looked sixteen. Must be a cultural thing…or a fangirl.

* * *

"Seven!" shouted Lon'qu before executing an upward cut.

"Aye!" Everyone shouted in unison, stepped forward, and performed their respective upward cuts.

"Eight!"

"Aye!" They repeated in practiced synchronization.

"Nine!"

"Aye!"

Master Yen'fay made his way to the front of the dojo.

"Hundred!" Lon'qu announced their last cut.

"Aye!"

"After the last upward cut, everyone stepped back into ready position with their swords centered.

"Attention," said Lon'qu.

Yen'fay held up his arms for the formal bow. Everyone collectively held their swords in their right hands with their left hands against the blade of the wooden swords.

"Bow," said Lon'qu.

With that, it concluded their first official practice. The students took three steps backwards before turning around, out of respect for the masters and the dojo, to head for the showers.

Lon'qu sleeved his sword in its case and swung it over his shoulder. He swiped his water bottle off of the floor and chugged it. He overhead everyone grumbling about how difficult the first practice back was. As he walked past the other members of the Han'do team, they said a couple words to him, such as 'good job' or 'thanks for your hard work'. He nodded in acknowledgment and reciprocated before briskly leaving.

"Mister World Champion!" sang a voice. An arm slung around him, pulling him forward.

Lon'qu pulled the slightest of a sour face at the young man with curly dark hair and large, round brown eyes. He was always equipped with a smile, usually for the ladies.

"Min," Lon'qu said neutrally.

"You didn't even break a sweat, bud." Min chuckled. Some of the new female members of the Han'do team whispered and giggled as they headed for the exit of the dojo. Min winked at them. "Hello, ladies."

This incited them to burst out into frantic giggles.

"Do you have to do that?" asked Lon'qu.

"Always."

At the exit of the dojo, they turned around to bow out and were off to the showers.

"Would it kill you to smile?" asked Min.

"Han'do requires—" Lon'qu started, but Min finished his sentence for him, all the while rolling his eyes.

"Displicine and respect. Yea, yeah. You always lecture me about that. But there's nothing about not smiling in Han'do."

"You're pretty lenient with the Games being less than a year away," said Lon'qu.

Min folded his hands at the back of his head. "What's the point of stressing out about it? It's not gonna change anything," said Min. "Besides, Han'do at school is just for the university titles anyway. And we get scholarships. The real training is Basilio and Flavia anyway, at the center."

"You should still take it more seriously," said Lon'qu with a frown.

"Dude, you need to get laid. You'll feel much better." Min slapped him on the back. Lon'qu scowled at him. "Oh, I saw your commercial. You looked amazing. I'm sure a lot of women wet themselves just watching it."

"I don't want to talk about it. Basilio made me because I. M. Possible sponsors us. You did one too," said Lon'qu.

"Yeah. The whole cool image doesn't suit me. So we went with something else," said Min with a chuckle.

"You strip in it," stated Lon'qu.

"Why? Did you want to strip for the country?" asked Min with a teasing smile. "I'm sure the producer would be overjoyed if you volunteer. And besides, I put on their shirt and then pretended to go for a jog in the ad."

Lon'qu shook his head and they entered the locker rooms. Lon'qu undid his lock and opened the locker. He gently placed his sword into it and began to strip down. Behind him, Min did the same at his locker.

He untied his belt and folded it neatly and tucked it into the locker. He undid the ties holding his uniform shirt shut, one at his chest and one on the inside of his shift. Underneath, he was wearing another shirt that was soaked from sweat.

"Hey, are you okay with Ke'ri seeing other guys?" asked Min. "It's been all over social media."

Lon'qu paused for a moment, but then finished undressing and wrapped a towel around his waist. He slammed his locker shut and walked away.

"Okay. So not okay then," said Min. The other male members had filed into the locker too and Min greeted them in a friendly manner.

Lon'qu closed the shower curtain behind him and turned on the shower. Hot water washed away the sweat from the morning's training. His tense muscles visibly relaxed as he stood under the shower.

* * *

Robin exited the luggage pickup area and entered the arrival lobby. She pushed her cart forward as she searched for the bus ticketing booth. The commercial she had seen before was playing on another screen. And then it switched to a new one. This time, it was a young man with a boyish smile with curly hair. The camera was following him as he jogged through a trail with sakura flowers, but not before he pulled a shirt on. At the end, she saw that it was a running shoes commercial for I. M. Possible.

She managed to find her way to the bus ticketing station. Robin waited in line and looked around. Chon'sin people were very well-dressed and fashionable. Her eyes wandered about and saw a pretty woman smiling at her in a photo. She had kind, almond-shaped eyes and a gentle smile. Her hair was black and long, but at the front, it was short. She had a sheathed sword resting against her chest and in one hand, she held up a cellphone. It said 'Slice your time in half with the new and improved Blade S.'

"And where are you headed?" asked the desk representative.

Robin tore her eyes away and looked at the woman responsible for ticketing. "I'm going to the university district."

"Which one?" she asked.

"Shu'an?" answered Robin.

"That'll be eighteen thousand gil," said the woman. Robin pulled out her wallet and handed her two ten thousand gil bills. The woman gave her change and her ticket. "It should be here at nine o'five. The bus will arrive at stop twenty-three forty-two. It's on the ticket."

"Thanks," said Robin headed towards the stops outside.

* * *

"Let's grab breakfast," said Min, readjusting the bag on his shoulder.

With Min, it was never a suggestion. It was always a decision he made for everyone.

"Sure," said Lon'qu.

"But first, to get through the fangirls," said Min. "I swear, we're more popular than boy bands lately. Maybe it's because we actually contribute something to the country by bringing home medals, trophies, and world recognition."

Lon'qu zipped up his jacket to his neck and placed his bulky headphones on. It was the only way to avoid all of them. If he looked busy, they were usually a little more polite about it, but they were always camped out wherever he went. He thought he would've gotten used to it by now, but he hadn't. Often, his parents, his coaches, and public relations manager had to fight and persuade him to do the advertisements, public appearances, and interviews.

Lon'qu hated the attention.

He thought that his rather cold exterior and indifference would drive people away, but it drew them in more. They wanted to know more about it. He sparked their curiosity. And for many of his female fans of all ages, they thought his aloofness was attractive and mysterious. But he wasn't. He was simply an introvert who wanted people to respect his privacy. In fact, Min actually ran most of his social media and forced him to post at least one picture a day. Their PR manager had put Min up to it.

How did Min survive the attention? He thrived in it and the people adored it. He'd take photos with the fans and sign their stuff with that bright, charming smile of his. Ever so the patient one.

"I know you're not actually listening to anything," said Min. "Take those off and go say hello to your fans." Min snatched the headphones from Lon'qu's head. "Provide some fanservice, Lon'qu. Or should I say 'Lon-Lon'? I think that's what Chon'sin has affectionately nicknamed you. And hey, people are paying attention to Han'do, aren't they? Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

Lon'qu glared at Min as they continued to make their way out of building. They saw a fair group of fans outside the doors from where they stood. Then, followed the sound of excited squeals and screams. Lon'qu stopped in his track. He really didn't want to deal with all the people. Han'do was never about fame to him.

"Are you coming to the social?" asked Min. "Lon'qu?"

"No," said Lon'qu, gripping his clothed sword in his hand. He knew he had to leave at some point. Some of his team members walked past him and headed towards the door.

"Bye, Min. Lon'qu," said one of the female members and walked past them arm in arm with another female member.

"See you tomorrow! You guys did great for your first practice back," said Min and waved enthusiastically.

Lon'qu always felt terrible how the attention directed at him probably distracted and bothered the other people on the competitive Han'do team. Sometimes, the male members would sneer or glare at him when they thought he couldn't see them.

"Come on, let's get this over with. Just accept the gifts, sign some stuff, take some photos, and then we can grab some breakfast," said Min.

"Stay away from the sugary crap you always like to eat. Basilio gets upset at me too when you do that," Lon'qu said.

"Okay, whatever. Let's go," said Min, ushering a reluctant Lon'qu out to the crowd of fangirls. He dug his heels in, but with Min shoving him, he was sliding across the floor.

"Fine," grumbled Lon'qu and he walked towards the excited fangirls. They reminded him of zombies—their crazed looks and hyper energy. Then the screaming (their mating cries) flooded his ears as Min pushed open the doors, and they rushed towards them with wrapped gifts, papers to sign, and cell phones in hand asking for photos.

"I travelled nine hours to come see you!" screamed what seemed like a high school girl in his face.

Nine hours? Didn't she have better things to do? Why would she do that? Waste nine hours of her day to come see him.

"It would mean everything to me if you accepted this gift." The same girl thrust a wrapped a gift to him. He hesitantly accepted: his first mistake. Because then all the fangirls started to stack their gifts into their hands.

Lon'qu glanced back to look at Min would was smiling pleasantly and accepting another wrapped green tea cake roll. He sighed and managed to get closer to his side.

"If you guys really care about this guy, you'd get him a fruit or vegetable basket," said Lon'qu in a low voice. "He's supposed to limit his sugar intake."

The fangirl gasped and started to apologize to Min. His friend gave him a strained smile. "Why thank you, Lon-Lon."

"Don't call me that," snapped Lon'qu.

"Who wants to know Lon-Lon's address?" shouted Min.

"Min, I won't hold back in our sparring practice!" said Lon'qu. "I will end you!"

"See, I told you they were a thing. Lon-Lon's jealous that he can't have Min to all to himself," whispered a fangirl.

"No, you got it all wrong. He's concerned for Min-Min's health," said another fangirl.

Great. Another weird very untrue rumour.

Min leaned to whisper something in Lon'qu's ear, which caused all the girls to squeal excitedly. "How about this. We pose for one picture and then I'll get them to disperse, or at least leave us alone long enough to get to our bikes."

"Fine," said Lon'qu.

"Okay, dearest fans. Lon-Lon…" Lon'qu glowered at him at the new nickname that had surfaced. Min smiled at him. "…and I have to get to the Centre or we'll get in trouble. How about we pose for one picture with both of us in it and you guys let us go? Unfortunately, we biked here, so we can't carry any gifts with us." Min pouted. "Just send them to the Arena Games Training Centre." He winked.

There was a buzz of excited agreement. Lon'qu wondered when this would be over.

"Okay. Lon'qu, smile," said Min through a greeted smile. He put an arm over his shoulder.

Despite Min's request, Lon'qu didn't smile. He was getting a headache, and frankly, felt overwhelmed. There were so many cellphones in his face and the flash kept going off.

"Enough," said Lon'qu. Everyone stopped, but there was still one more flash, blinding him.

"Okay, time to get going, ladies," said Min, pushing Lon'qu through the crowd. "Until next time!"

Lon'qu heard him say 'race you' before Min ran, leaving Lon'qu to fend for himself.

Traitor.

Lon'qu ran after Min and the crowd followed them even with their promise.

* * *

Shu'an was a very lively city from what Robin could tell. Everyone was right: Chon'sin was definitely ahead of all the nations in terms of technological advances. As they drove through downtown, it was buzzing and bustling with people and cars. The buildings were all high risers with various flashing signs indicating the service or company they represented.

She watched city in awe as everything flashed by. Everything was so tall compared to Plegia. Everything was so different.

As promised, her one of her new housemates promised to meet at the bus stop. Robin stepped down from the bus and a moderately short girl with short hair and bangs skipped up to her.

"Are you Robin?" she asked. She was carrying an oddly shaped gym bag and a long sleeved object, slung across her chest.

"I'm Yui! I'm your new housemate," she said with a wide smile. The girl was the epitome of cute with her bob haircut. "Sully said I should meet you so you don't get lost on your first day in Shu'an."

"Are you coming back from practice?" asked Robin, gesturing to her bag and equipment.

"First Han'do practice," she said.

"Han'do," Robin repeated.

"It's the sword martial art of Chon'sin," said Yui.

They waited for the bus driver to unload the suitcases. Yui grabbed one of Robin's suitcases, and Robin grabbed the other one.

"Oh, that sounds interesting," she said.

"It's a lot of hard work, but I really enjoy it," said Yui. "And our school usually produces a lot of swordmasters, or well, I guess in some cases, attracts swordmasters to attend. Lon'qu Sun, Min Li, and Say'ri Dan are the examples I can think of. We have other famous Arena Games athletes. Master Yen'fay was a champion for quite a few years before he decided to come train the competitive team at Shu'an U. And I guess the other really famous example would be our rhythmic gymnast, Ke'ri So."

"Cool," said Robin nodding. She didn't have any idea who Yui was talking about.

* * *

Lon'qu watched Min poke at his food at the Arena Games Centre. "Just eat it."

"I will," said Min, staring at his food in the metal food tray.

"You need to maintain a healthy diet for a healthy body," said Lon'qu. "They specifically planned that meal for you."

"I know, Lon'qu. I heard you the first time," he said. "I just really hate broccoli. Why are the side dishes so bleh today?" asked Min.

"You're just picky," said Lon'qu. "Be grateful. At least we're in a sport where we can eat relatively well, unlike the gymnasts and figure skaters."

"Yeah, yeah. Poor Ke'ri," said Min.

Lon'qu narrowed his eyes at Min. "I never said anything about Ke'ri."

"Well, you mentioned gymnast, so I assume Ke'ri. You don't know any figure skaters," said Min with a shrug.

"Min," he said with a warning tone.

"Okay! Okay! I'll stop bringing her up," he said, taking a chomp out of his vegetables. "But…"

Lon'qu stood up from his seat, his chair scraping against the ground. He picked up his utensils and his tray and walked away.

"I got it. Seriously, take it easy. I just thought maybe you'd want to talk about it. She did just come back from Regna Ferox," Min called after Lon'qu.

"Don't be late. Today is weight training," said Lon'qu over his shoulder.

"Lon'qu, come back and eat!" shouted Min, shoveling food into his mouth. He pulled a face. "Blargh. Broccoli."

* * *

After supper, Lon'qu went for a jog on the track and returned back to his room. Usually at this time, Min was lounging on his bed on his laptop or his cellphone, maintaining his social media. He came out of the shower with a towel around his waist and phone poised for a certain angle.

Lon'qu heard a camera sound as he walked past Min. He looked over to Min to see him posing for a selfie.

"Don't worry, I'm not posting pictures of your half naked body," said Min. He smiled. Lon'qu scowled at him. He had done that before and now that shit was forever on the internet.

Lon'qu didn't say anything.

"Are you excited for classes?" asked Min. "I hope our training schedule will actually let us go to classes this year. I'd like to graduate on time, but I think that's wishful thinking."

"Yeah." Lon'qu agreed. "I hear third year engineering can be hard."

"I thought engineering is always hard," said Min, scrolling through his photos, trying to decide what photo would look best.

"It's nine twenty-nine," said Min.

Lon'qu sighed at the reminder.

Min snickered. "I think it's endearing."

"You can pick up her call every night then," grumbled Lon'qu.

Like clockwork, his phone rang as soon as it became nine thirty. He answered it immediately. Once, he was late by an extra ring and the call went a good half an hour longer.

"Hello?" said Lon'qu.

Min put his phone down and watched the conversation unfold. He looked amused. He always looked amused at nine thirty.

'Did you eat today?' asked a woman's voice.

"Yes."

"Did you poop today?"

Lon'qu sighed before answering. "Yes."

"How was training?"

"Good."

"Did you drink your medicinal herb tea?"

"Yes. I'm drinking it right now." Lon'qu glanced over at the steaming mug on his bedside table.

"Is Min drinking it too?"

"He doesn't like it."

"Is he there with you?"

"Yes."

"Put me on speaker phone, dear."

Lon'qu did as he was told and put his cellphone on speaker.

"Am I on speaker?" the voice yelled.

"Hey, Mom!" Min greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, my second son!" Lon'qu's mother cooed. "How are you doing?"

"Even better since you've called!" said Min.

"Aren't you the sweetest," said Mrs. Sun. "Min, dear, I sent your share of the medicinal herb tea too, so remember to drink it all. It's good for you!"

Min pursed his lips and made a face at Lon'qu. He knew that look. It was the 'why did you do this to me?' look. Lon'qu smirked. No one won against his mother. Not even his father, who was also a renown Han'do swordmaster.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll remember to drink it," said Min.

"Remember to go all your classes, boys. I know you guys are professional athletes, but education is important!" Mrs. Sun lectured.

"Classes haven't started yet," said Lon'qu.

"Lon'qu, you know what I mean," said Mrs. Sun. "I saw your boys' commercials. You two looked great."

"It was a lot of fun," said Min.

"Honey, let them go," said a voice in the background.

"But I miss my babies," said Mrs. Sun.

"I know, but you need to stop coddling them," said the voice again.

"Don't tell your wife what to do. Come say hi to your sons," demanded Mrs. Sun.

There was a sigh and then some static on the other end. Lon'qu rubbed his temples. Why did his parents do this to him every night?

"Good evening, Lon'qu. Min," said the voice.

"Hello, Father," said Lon'qu.

"Evenin', Master Sun," said Min.

"Work hard," grunted Mr. Sun.

"Yes, Father," said Lon'qu.

"Yes, Master Sun," said Min.

"Good night," said Lon'qu's father. There was more bickering and scrambling on the other end again.

"I love you two!" said Mrs. Sun.

"Love you too," said Min.

"Okay," said Lon'qu.

"Would it kill you say 'I love you too' to your own mother, Lon'qu?" snapped Mrs. Sun.

"Honey, let them go to bed," said his father. There was some bickering on the other end and then the line went dead. To Lon'qu's relief.

"Well, gimme some of that tea. Knowing your mother, she'll know if I didn't drink it every night. And if she finds out, she'll hold her delicious dumplings hostage from me next time I visit," said Min in defeat.

Min watched Lon'qu turn on his electric kettle and grab Min's mug. He ripped open a tea packet full of herbs and dumped it into the cup.

"I hate that stuff," said Min.

"I don't like it either," said Lon'qu. "But you get used to it."

"She'd never know if we just threw it out," said Min.

"Has hiding anything from my mother worked out?" Lon'qu reminded Min. The water kettle clicked off and Lon'qu poured the hot water into the cup.

"No. We got really close that time," said Min.

Lon'qu turned around to look at Min and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. This was no different than their usual evening calls.

"What?" asked Min. "There was that one time she called us, she made Master Sun give us 'the talk' after she read that article on STDs. Now _that_ didn't go well."

Lon'qu screwed his eyes shut, trying to forget the awful memory.

"I'm sorry on behalf of my mother," said Lon'qu, handing Min the bitter concoction.

"Not at all. I love your mother like my own," said Min. "She pretty much raised both of us."

"Heh, yeah," said Lon'qu with the smallest smile.

Min grinned back and then sipped the tea. "What in the world! This tastes like university student tears after failing and exam or when a professor won't give you an extension."

Lon'qu shrugged and gave a grunt in response. "I know, Min."

* * *

Robin's luggages had expelled their contents in her new room. The small apartment wasn't new. She could tell it was definitely a student home. It just had that vibe. It was a definite downgrade from living with her parents in a nice home, but if this is what she had to put up with to get a break, so be it.

She got up and plopped down onto the bed. It sank a lot more than she had thought it would and she let out a small scream and grasped at the sides of the mattress so she wouldn't sink further.

"Hey, new girl." Robin picked her head up to see an athletic girl with a headful of short red hair. "I'm Sully."

"Hey, I'm Robin. You can come in," said Robin. "Sorry about the mess."

"Nah, don't worry about it. You should see my room," said Sully. "How was your flight from Plegia?"

"Fine," said Robin. "I'm so tired."

"I bet," said Sully. "So, what are you studying on your exchange?"

"I'm actually a math major," said Robin. "With a specialization in statistics."

"Wow, so you're a major nerd," said Sully.

Robin shrugged. "I like numbers. What can I say?"

"That's great. You can help me with my stats course this year," said Sully.

"What about you? Yui mentioned you're from Ylisse," said Robin.

"They have an amazing athletics program at Shu'an. I'm here on a full scholarship for track and field. Also, my parents work as diplomats for Ylisse, so I kinda grew up in Chon'sin. You'll see that the student population is pretty diverse. And for majors, I'm a kinesiology major. If track and field doesn't work out, I'm thinking of being a sports physiotherapist," said Sully.

"Cool," said Robin.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it," said Sully.

"Night," said Robin.

She slowly sank back down into the bed. She needed to go out and buy some bedding and pillows. The old mattress felt gross against her bare skin. But tired or not, she was thrilled to get a new start and escape her past for a little bit.

* * *

 **A/N:** Just a side note. So this is loosely inspired from South Korean athletes. I think Japan also has something similar. Olympic athletes are often treated like celebrities, especially if they've secured a gold medal. They often film lots of commercials and earn money through that. Yuna Kim is a great example of this.

Also, as for culture for Chon'sin. Right now, it's a bit of a blend of East Asian countries. But again, a lot of it is South Korea inspired, since that is what I'm most familiar with. I am not aiming to culturally appropriate anything.

And for Han'do...I did haidong gumdo for a couple years so that's where my knowledge of this made up sword martial art is from. So if you're like an intense scholar that knows everything about a sword martial art and I'm totally doing this wrong. Please cut me some slack. (Pun was unintended.)

Let me know what you think.


	2. Routine

**Special thanks** to LaceKyoko1138 for being a beta reader for this chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Routine**

Lon'qu was many things. The youngest Han'do World Champion. A civil engineering major at Shu'an University. One of the faces of the sports brand, I. M. Possible Min Li's best friend and roommate at the Arena Games Training Centre dormitories.

And Min's alarm clock.

Lon'qu came out of the bathroom in his boxers while brushing his teeth. He took the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Min, get up!" The words came out of his mouth muffled from the foam in his mouth.

He went back to the washroom to rinse his mouth out before trying to wake Min up for the seventh time this morning. His number of attempts hadn't reached the twenties yet, so Lon'qu knew he was in a long battle with the Panda (one of the many nicknames his fans had christened Min with). However, 'Panda' was befitting, seeing how all Min wanted to do was sleep and eat.

Getting up at five thirty every morning wasn't an easy task. Lon'qu knew that. He also knew that Min wasn't a morning person, but neither was he! It was only after strict discipline, routine, and practice, did Lon'qu manage to get up consistently at five thirty in the morning. When training wasn't as rigorous or he was on break, he did sleep in a little more. Maybe until around eight. Growing up, his father had ensured that Lon'qu was up no later than eight, and the habit stuck with him.

Lon'qu put his foot on the edge of the mattress and shook it. "Min, get up. We have morning training." Then, he violently ripped off the blanket and watched his best friend recoil from the cold morning air rushing over his half-naked body. Lon'qu tucked the blanket under his arm and walked away.

"Damn it, Lon-Lon! Why you do dis to me?" grumbled Min. "I just need five more minutes. I was eating cake in my dream."

"Unfortunately for me, Basilio and Flavia believe in collective punishment," said Lon'qu.

Lon'qu balled up the blanket and threw it onto his neatly made bed. He went over to the stack of boxes of protein bars on top of the small fridge they shared. Lon'qu grabbed a matcha protein bar for himself and a chocolate one for Min.

"If you're late, I'm going to get in shit and so is the rest of the Han'do team. You and I both know that we need to be on our best behaviour since we're the newest additions."

"Well to be fair, Lon-Lon—"

Lon'qu threw Min's protein bar at him. "Stop calling me that!"

Min groaned. "You're such a bitch in the morning."

"You're one to talk," said Lon'qu, peeling the wrapper off and taking a bite of his protein bar. "Remember to eat that before we leave. You're a hangry monster in the morning."

Min yawned and stretched out on his bed. "Lon'qu, hasn't it crossed your mind that the seniors probably won't like us no matter what? It's because we're the favorites to win at the Arena Games." The next thing he did was unplug his phone and check it for updates. "Imagine training for most of your life and then two newbies come along to take your chances of winning a gold medal at the Arena."

"You have a problem. I think this is what the news has been talking about: phone addiction," said Lon'qu.

"I like validation in the morning, since all you do is throw protein bars at me to wake me up," said Min.

Lon'qu made an exasperated face and shook his head while taking another bite of his protein bar.

"You look like Master Sun when you do that," said Min, without looking up from his phone. "Oh, looks like Ke'ri posted a no makeup selfie. #woke up like this. #back in training dorms."

Lon'qu pretended not to care, but he had already seen the photo. Ke'ri had sent it to him before she posted it. If his assumption was correct, Ke'ri had posted the photo on her social media after she had sent it to him. She was most likely jetlagged by a couple hours from getting back from Regna Ferox and had woke up early.

The sound of a camera shutter from Min's phone made him bristle. He had grown to hate the sound of a camera shutter lately. People kept taking photos of him without his permission and then posting it everywhere on the internet. He didn't even know fans made shrines out of his pictures on the internet until Min showed him. Those photos were out there forever now. How would his future wife and kids feel about creepy blogs dedicated to him?

"Relax, friend." Min rolled out of bed. "I'm up. And don't worry. I didn't take a photo of you. I took a morning selfie. I'm not losing to Ke'ri. I'm obviously the prettiest one out of us three." Min made an exaggerated selfie face at Lon'qu and he shoved him away.

"Get away from me, Min. And you better not be lying about the photo or I'm never waking you up again," said Lon'qu.

"Empty threats." Min tossed his phone onto his bed. "Okay, okay! I can feel you glaring at me. I'll hurry up."

"Good. And remember to—"

"Eat the frigging protein bar! I know! You nag more than Mom."

Lon'qu knew Min was referring to his mother.

* * *

As the Han'do team made their final lap around the track field, Basilio shouted, "The new recruits are in fine shape! The seniors better keep their edge!"

Great, thought Lon'qu. Min and he were already feeling the tension of being the youngest shoo-ins for the Han'do team for the Arena Games and Basilio was egging the other members on. Obviously, the senior members of the team were polite, but that's what Chon'sinese people did. They were always polite. Superficially.

"I hate mornings. I hate morning runs," said Min, bent over, catching his breath. "And Basilio trains us like he's going to sign us up for one of those obstacle course competitions that are impossible on TV."

Lon'qu didn't mind the morning runs. It helped him wake up and it usually made it a good start to the day. "Yeah, but at least you're awake now."

"I'm hungry," said Min.

If Lon'qu hadn't forced Min to eat the protein bar, he would've said he was starving and that usually meant he was hangry. Hangry Min was not cute. Hangry Min was unbearable even for Lon'qu, and he had the highest tolerance for all of his friend's quirks.

"And now that training is getting tougher, they've cut out coffee and alcohol out of our diets. What am I supposed to do? I'm a university student. We live off of that."

"Well, _you_ live off of that. They didn't cut coffee out of my diet," said Lon'qu.

"That's unfair," said Min. "You don't even drink coffee. You drink green tea. Not even green tea lattes, like normal people our age, but just plain green tea. Like an old man."

"Coffee makes you more anxious when you need to perform, Min," said Lon'qu. "They probably cut it out because of that. Besides, Min, your body isn't your own now. It's the people's. You're here on taxpayer's money," said Lon'qu.

"Are you quoting me?" said Min.

Lon'qu smiled.

"You look so smug right now. I don't remember adding the taxpayer's money part. And also, that wasn't the context I used it in. Don't twist it into something dark and evil. I meant it in you needing to provide more fan service," said Min.

"We're athletes. Not celebrities," said Lon'qu.

"Pretty sure it's the same thing for us," said Min.

They walked over to where Basilio stood to collect their water bottles, towels, and phones. Basilio nodded at them and returned to talking to one of the other members. Lon'qu felt his phone vibrate once in his hand when he picked it up. He frowned. It only did that when there were notifications on his phone. He rarely got any messages or emails this early in the morning. And he had already checked his phone before they left.

Lon'qu turned his phone screen on and stopped in his tracks. He blinked, trying to calm his fury, trying to pet it down. Min stopped a couple steps ahead of him and turned around while chugging his water bottle.

"What?" asked Min.

His social media accounts—which he would've uninstalled if it wasn't for his PR manager—had exploded. Their PR manager, Lan'fei, had sent several texts to Lon'qu praising him for finally catching up on using social media.

A rough idea of what happened formulated in Lon'qu's head. This wasn't the first time Min had snapped a photo of him and posted it on the app, Phocus, a photo-sharing platform. He tapped on the camera icon of Phocus to confirm: the top trending photo in Chon'sin was a picture of him in his boxers bathed in morning light. Posted by none other than ' '.

 _#lon_ _'qu sun #woke up like this #morning abs #fan service #you're welcome world #prettier than Ke'ri So #half-kidding #thirsty AF #min li out #I may die for this_

Lon'qu put his phone into his pocket and pulled off the towel around his neck. "Min."

"Yeah? What's wrong?" asked Min.

"You said you didn't take a photo of me in the morning," said Lon'qu. He started to wind up the towel in his hands, grasping the ends.

"I deserve a three second head-start," Min blurted out as he bolted away.

Lon'qu did give him a three second head-start. It was only fair, seeing how this was the last day Min would live.

"Lan'fei put me up to it! She promised to buy me the famous dumplings from Old Shu'an! You know I'm weak against food!"

* * *

Equipped with a matcha latte in one hand and a phone with a new sim card in the other, Robin arrived on Shu'an University campus. Robin took another sip from her latte. She had had green tea lattes back home in Plegia, but the matcha lattes in Chon'sin were not only more vibrant in colour, but also in taste. It was the birth of an addiction from first sip.

The campus was quite lovely. In Chon'sin, school started in March. But boy, was it worth the wait. University Avenue was flanked with rows of cherry blossoms preparing their blossoms for spring.

Robin had taken a couple months off of school to try to match the semester schedule of Chon'sin. During that time, she had worked several jobs trying to save up for her year abroad. Her dad refused to pay for this 'escapade' of hers, but her mom had sneaked her some money to cover tuition. So far, she had enough saved up for living expenses for half a year if she spent it wisely. If she really penny-pinched and didn't explore the country, then she could probably stretch it to eight months. Either way, she needed a part time job as soon as possible. Possibly two if she was only going to earn minimum wage.

But other than financial concerns, which were very typical of concerns of students, this was totally her aesthetic. She could live in Shu'an with its amazing lattes and cherry blossoms. Robin held up her phone, took a photo, and sent it to her closest friends back in Plegia, Henry and Tharja. Normal people would've been asleep at this hour in Plegia, but she knew both of them were night owls.

Responses came immediately. She rolled her eyes when they both said it was too bright and cheerful for their tastes. Robin tucked her phone into her purse and decided to head to the International Students Centre. It seemed like a good place to start.

* * *

"If it wasn't for Coach Flavia, I think you would've actually killed me with a gods damned towel. You should be proud of yourself, Lon'qu. You've managed to make an innocent towel threatening," said Min. He leaned in over the cafeteria table. "Coach Flavia thought it was a nice photo. She said that your muscles are coming along nicely."

Min looked so proud of himself. Lon'qu shot a glare at his traitorous friend, but that didn't stop his curly-haired friend. There were few things in the world that stopped Min.

"Everyone wants to know what your exercise routine is," said Min, scrolling through the comment section. "And half the country wants to fuck you. 'O-M-G Lon-Lon baby let's make babies. I could wash my laundry on those abs. I just came.' Wow. Your fans are thirsty."

Lon'qu's blush spread from his face to the tips of his ears. While Min was enjoying all of these shenanigans, Lon'qu had turned his phone off before the crazed fan world robbed him of his sanity. Putting it on silent had been an option, but the small notification light on his phone would blink to no end. Sometimes, Lon'qu swore it was blinking in Morse code: 'Here is more unwanted attention from the world'. (He didn't even know Morse code, but if he knew Morse code, he was sure that's what the light was blinking.)

"Hey, Lon'qu, I'm sorry," said Min. "I shouldn't have sold you out for dumplings. I'm a bad person."

"You are scum. And you're not sorry. You've sold me out for lesser things. Like that time you auctioned off our toothbrushes without my permission on the internet." said Lon'qu.

"To be fair, that money went to the panda sanctuary they were about to close down and we saved it," said Min.

"You're going to sell me out again," said Lon'qu.

"Yeah." Min shrugged. "I probably am. You know me too well. I get way too much of a kick from this to not do it again."

"You better watch it today. I'm taking you down if you're my sparring partner," said Lon'qu.

"Too bad. I'm with Say'ri today," said Min. "And I needed to get one photo of you today. You always post shitty pictures. Most of them don't even have a filter or it's blurry. You're worse than Master Sun. Even Master Sun knows how to use filters."

"My pictures are fine. I'm meeting the quota, aren't I?" Lon'qu argued.

"No…they're really not, Lon'qu," said Min. "The last ten pictures were all pictures of your wooden practice swords. And you totally half-assed it. Lan'fei isn't stupid."

Lon'qu sighed and went back to eating his breakfast.

"You know, Min's not wrong."

Both athletes looked up to see a young woman around their age with a tray of food in her hands. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun, showing off her long elegant neckline. She owned a pair of sweet, brown eyes, but there was an ambitious spark in them. Her small, petal pink lips were curved into an innocent smile.

Most of the male athletes perked up at the sight of her and they all watched the trio. Lon'qu pretended not to notice.

"Ke'ri…hey," said Min nervously. He glanced at Lon'qu. "How was your training in Regna Ferox?"

"Good. Panne is intense, but I think I've made a lot of progress. If all goes well, I think I can finally get into top three this year at my competitions. I'm crossing my fingers for the Universiade this summer. That and we have home advantage," said Ke'ri. She pulled out the chair beside Min and sat down uninvited.

Min stared at Ke'ri's tray. "Do you want some of my food? I won't tell anyone."

Lon'qu kicked Min underneath the table and shook his head once. Min knew better than to mess with the strict diets they were all put on.

"It's not that bad once you get used to it. Though, I admit, I'd kill for some of Mrs. Sun's pork dumplings," said Ke'ri, picking up her single piece of toast with sliced hard boiled eggs. "Besides, I need to lose a couple more pounds again anyway. Unlike my Rosannian and Feroxi competitors, my limbs aren't as long, so even if we all weigh the same, they still have nicer lines. I need to compensate somehow."

Ke'ri put down her toast to take a sip of her tea. "Hey, you."

Lon'qu continued to ignore her and busied himself with downing his glass of carrot-apple-ginger juice. Maybe if he pretended that she wasn't there, she'd stop talking to him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her pout for a brief moment and rebound with a mischievous smile. He hadn't seen that smile in a long time. "So, did you pose for the picture this morning or did Min secretly snap a photo of you?"

Lon'qu choked on his juice and what liquid was in his mouth was expelled and splattered onto Min's face. Ke'ri covered her mouth and laughed. Now everyone in the cafeteria was watching them.

"Still shy as ever," she said.

Min had his eyes squeezed shut and grimaced. "I think we're even now, Lon-Lon. No, I _know_ we're even."

Lon'qu picked up his napkin and slapped it onto Min's cheek. "We're even."

"You're a little too old to do the silent treatment aren't you, Lon'qu?" said Ke'ri.

"Well, I guess I don't need to do a sheet mask now thanks to you, Lon'qu. You really look out for me, don't you?" Min wiped his face down.

"Min, can you give us a moment?" asked Ke'ri.

Min stared at Ke'ri and then Lon'qu. "I don't think I can, Ke'ri. Lon'qu isn't having a great day. He might lose his temper and flip this very table if I leave. You need me around to protect you." Min winked.

"I thought you knew him just as well as I did. Lon'qu is all bark and no bite." Ke'ri sighed. "The least you could do is talk to me considering our history. It wouldn't kill you to answer my texts and calls. Or spare five minutes to talk in person."

"There's nothing to talk about," snapped Lon'qu. "And it _would_ kill me to spare five minutes of my time for you."

"Hey, guys. Why don't we just try to—" Min started.

"Stay out of it, Min," said Ke'ri quietly as she watched Lon'qu collect his tray to leave. "I'm sorry, Lon'qu. I miss you. I miss us three."

Lon'qu finally met Ke'ri's pleading eyes and broke eye contact before she got him to feel for her again. "Min, I'll be in our room. I'm going to see if textbooks for my courses have been listed."

"Okay, I'll meet you there," said Min.

He hadn't even taken that many steps when he heard her say, "You better watch out, Min. He'll cut you out too if you make a tiny mistake, even if he's at fault too."

* * *

Robin got everything she needed at the International Students Centre. She made a beeline to the Career Services Office and found out she could apply for jobs online through their website. It turned out there were positions for tutoring at the Math Centre, which was perfect for her.

For the remainder of her afternoon, she familiarized herself with the new campus. It took a while, but she managed to locate all the buildings for her classes. However, one building was really difficult to locate. She kept getting lost even with the map in her hands. For some reason, her elective, Human Evolution and Affairs, was located in the Civil Engineering building.

Eventually, she settled for that and assumed that there wasn't enough space on campus so they moved the lecture location to an engineering building. Then she passed a certain building and stopped. She had meant to go straight to the athletics building to check out the facilities (even though it was unrealistic she was going to use it regularly; she liked to believe that this year meant turning over a new leaf). Robin knew the building she had stopped in front of: the music building. A melody and harmony flowed out from the opened windows of the ivy-covered building.

 _Dreams of Love. Liebestraum No. 3. Franz Liszt_.

The cello was technically playing it right, but Robin didn't feel the melody warmly embracing her in unconditional love. The piano part sounded like it was trying to take over the entire piece instead of accompanying the cello. And all of it was too rushed. Further down the hall of the building on that floor, Robin heard a violin playing _Prokofiev_ _'s Dance of the Knights_. Underneath that, there was a flute quartet playing _Mozart_ _'s Lacrimosa_.

A throbbing in her wrists distracted her from everyone's music. Her fingers twitched. Her feet told her to go in: a habit resulting from spending most of her life in practice rooms. Even back home, she had a soundproof practice room built specially for her.

Robin closed her eyes and calmed her nerves. She didn't know how to feel about music. Did she miss it? Did she hate it? Did she want nothing to do with it? One thing she knew for sure was that she had come on an exchange to get away for a year.

A professor and a group of chattering students passed her as she stared at the Music Hall, frozen in the spot.

"Is that you, Robin? Goodness, I never thought I'd see you here."

Robin snapped out of it and turned her head to see a young woman around her older sister's age. Her voice was soft and her delicate features were framed by perfect blonde curls. Robin furrowed her brow, trying to recall why the woman seemed so familiar.

"It's me, Emmeryn." Emmeryn smiled warmly, hoping that would jog her memory.

A light bulb lit up in Robin's head. "Oh!"

She knew exactly who this was. Emmeryn Exalt. Emmeryn had been in the older divisions of all the major piano competitions Robin had participated in growing up. By the time she had reached the senior division, Emmeryn was no longer playing in competitions. She wasn't a world-class pianist, but she was still memorable enough that Robin recalled listening to her play and saw that she had this effect of bringing people together and making them feel safe.

"Sorry, it must be the jet lag," said Robin.

"You guys can go ahead. I'll see you inside," said Emmeryn to the students who were curiously watching the two.

"Okay, Professor Exalt," said one of the girls. The group left the two women.

"What are you doing here?" asked Emmeryn. It was a genuine question. There was nothing judgmental about it, but it felt like something else, since Robin had been asked that question so many times.

It sounded more like 'You're a famous pianist. What the hell are you doing here of all places? Shouldn't you be travelling the world and performing?' That's what most people meant by different variations of that question.

"I…umm…" Robin swallowed. It wasn't a secret in the classical world that she had kind of dropped off the face of the world in the last couple years.

Emmeryn waited patiently. "Are you exploring other options?"

"Yeah, something like that," said Robin quietly. "I'm here on an exchange. What brings you here? Aren't you usually in Ylisse?"

"I'm a professor here. I have a contract with the university. Next year is my last year here," said Emmeryn. "It's been a joy to teach young musicians."

"Cool," said Robin, nodding.

"Are you here for music? With your talent, you could've gone to Rosanne for music," said Emmeryn.

Robin hated that word—talent. It wasn't just _talent_ that had gotten her far. It was also an incredible amount of effort, practice, and sacrifice. Everyone made it sound like she was just born with it, but she had to work just as hard, no, even harder than everyone else, to nurture that so-called _talent_.

"No, I'm just a math major, specializing in stats," said Robin quietly.

"Oh, that's impressive," said Emmeryn. "We should grab lunch some time, I'd love to actually sit down and chat with you."

"Yeah. When you have time, Professor," said Robin.

"You can call me 'Emmeryn'. It's weird hearing you call me 'Professor'. Especially from a pianist I admire." Emmeryn laughed. "Come swing by my office after you're settled. It's Room 452 in the Music Hall, right here."

"Okay," said Robin.

"I should get going," said Emmeryn. "You have to promise to come say hello."

"Okay," said Robin, waving goodbye. She watched Emmeryn enter the building and sighed. So much for avoiding the Music Hall.

* * *

"Keep your defenses up!" shouted Basilio. "You're letting the newbie corner you!"

Obi, one of the oldest members of the Arena Han'do team, was making it hard for Lon'qu to not go easy on him. He was leaving too many openings and his parries were slow. Or maybe it was that Lon'qu was too fast. Lon'qu definitely noticed that Obi had a lot of room for improvement on his footwork and it was painfully obvious in all his movements that his dominant side was his right.

He wasn't trying to be cocky, but he was getting bored. Obi wasn't a terrible opponent. It was simply that he was predictable to Lon'qu and there was no whatsoever personal sparring style to Obi. Their fight felt mechanical, like they were going through the motions of a demonstration rather than an actual spar. Lon'qu decided to end this quickly. Lon'qu took a step forward, shoving Obi's sword aside. Before Obi could recover, Lon'qu swiftly brought the sword around and over to strike his sparring partner on the head.

"That's enough," said Basilio.

The tip of Lon'qu's bamboo sword stopped a couple inches above Obi's protective head gear.

"Obi, you left a lot of openings and your defense was weak today. Lon'qu was predicting every move you made," said Basilio. "Get your head in the game."

"Yes, Coach," said Obi.

"Lon'qu," said Basilio.

"Yes, Coach?" said Lon'qu.

"You went easy on Obi. You'll hurt his pride if you do that," said Basilio.

Lon'qu let out a small sigh. There was no winning. If he hadn't gone easy on Obi, he would've humiliated him. But now that he had, apparently it still embarrassed him in some form.

"You could've easily taken him down in far fewer moves. Other than that, keep up the good work," said Basilio.

"Thank you, Coach," said Lon'qu.

"Bow," said Basilio.

Lon'qu and Obi both bowed to one another, thanking each other for the fight, and they went back to take their seats with the other swordmasters.

* * *

Lon'qu's sparring practice finished early, so he decided to go see how Min's sword dance practice was going. Min had mentioned that Say'ri, the World Champion of Han'do in the women's division, was helping him in choreography for the Arena Games.

Say'ri was the most well-rounded swordmaster in Han'do's modern history. She had the elegance and grace to excel in the sword dance event, but she also had the power and precision to dominate in the sword fighting event. Min had the talent for sword dance, but lacked the aggression and quick judgment that Lon'qu possessed. And well, Lon'qu was never one for grace, so all his masters never encouraged him to pursue sword dance, which came as a relief to Lon'qu.

Since Master Yen'fay was Lon'qu's father's best friend, Lon'qu had grown up watching Say'ri compete ever since her early days. She was several years older than both Lon'qu and Min, and nearing the average retirement age, but that same passion Lon'qu had seen in Say'ri since her teens was still present. If Min was the face of modern Han'do and Lon'qu represented traditional Han'do, Say'ri was the perfect bridge between the two. Of the two Chun siblings, it was evident that Say'ri had surpassed Yen'fay and from what Lon'qu recalled, Yen'fay couldn't be prouder.

Lon'qu never admitted it out loud, but he loved watching Say'ri perform, whether it was in her sparring gear, ready to strike an opponent down or when she was dressed in a beautiful ceremonial sword dance costume wielding one or two blades. It didn't matter if there was symmetry or not, she still made every performance stunning.

Lon'qu quietly snuck into Combatives Room 4 and carried his clothed sword bag over his shoulder as he took a seat near the outskirts of the room. Min made eye contact with him and Lon'qu responded with a single nod.

"Min, you're being sloppy!" barked Say'ri. "I want your movements to be sharper."

Another thing Lon'qu had almost forgotten about Say'ri—her obvious world-class talents made her equally one of the toughest trainers known in the Han'do world.

"If you're only going to use one sword for the routine, you need to make the sword the center of attention and make it look balanced," said Say'ri.

"That doesn't even make any sense," said Min.

Say'ri sighed and crossed her arms. "It's like an extension of yourself. Just like how Ke'ri uses her rhythmic equipment in her routines."

Min leaned in and whispered, "You may not want to mention Ke'ri in front of Lon'qu. He's kind of sensitive about it."

"Hmm?" Say'ri turned around to finally acknowledge Lon'qu. He knew she already knew he was there, but just didn't choose to turn around until now. "Why is that, Lon'qu?"

Lon'qu made a face, but didn't say anything other than that.

Say'ri turned back to Min with a quirked brow.

Min shook both his hands and head. "No. I don't want to die, Master Say'ri. I've already pushed him pretty close to the edge today."

"Huh. Oh. The photo," said Say'ri slowly. She made her way across the room to Lon'qu and squatted down in front him. Lon'qu almost hissed when Say'ri pinched both cheeks. "Is widdle Lon'qu moping because his feelings weren't returned?" she asked in a baby voice. "Was he heartbroken by his first wuv?"

If it weren't for the fact that he respected Say'ri and it would've been incredibly rude to slap her hands away, Lon'qu would've viciously shoved her aside. Instead, he pursed his lips and glared at her.

"Would ya look at those mean little eyes you got there, ya little runt," said Say'ri, letting him go and pulling him into a chokehold against her ample bosom.

"I think you're the only one who can get away with that, Master Say'ri," said Min. "He'd even kill me."

"Please stop," said Lon'qu, trying to find a part of Say'ri to push off of him but he didn't dare try out of fear of grabbing something else…

"I don't care about what everyone else says, Lon'qu is still the shy little kid I watched grow up," said Say'ri, snuggling him. "You two are still babies to me." Say'ri finally released a furiously blushing Lon'qu.

Min snorted, which earned him a scowl from Lon'qu.

"It's nice to see you again, kiddo," said Say'ri, ruffling Lon'qu's head.

"Stop!" said Lon'qu.

* * *

Everything was going surprisingly well. The main cherry blossom walkway to the university was at the verge of blooming and Lon'qu had kept an extra careful eye on the news forecast for it. For some reason, fans weren't trying to bombard him. He did remember Min rambling about how the leadership had changed in the fan clubs and they were purposely trying to not stress out either of them with the Universiade coming up in the summer. And to add to his decent day was that while he couldn't handle a hundred percent course-load, he had been allowed to take the minimum required number of courses to maintain full-time status so that he could qualify to participate in the Universiade this summer. Basilio had suggested that Lon'qu take a year off to train, but Yen'fay helped him reason with Basilio. Basilio wasn't too happy with it, especially with the Arena Games being next summer, but Yen'fay was pretty satisfied that Lon'qu could have an opportunity to focus on his courses. Even if it was only a couple of them.

How Lon'qu was going to manage a semi-full course-load and Arena training was the last thought on his mind. Knowing Basilio, Lon'qu would have to switch back to part-time or take an absence of leave with Min after the Universiade was over to dedicate his time to training for the Arena Games. But for now, he was just glad to have something other than Han'do take over his life.

Did he want to maintain his world titles? Yes, he did. He worked hard for those and sacrificed a lot of things normal guys his age didn't have to. However, Lon'qu never started Han'do with the intent of making it a career. He had started it because it looked fun and many of his family members did it. But as he surpassed everyone, expectations that came from outside his family grew. The expectation that he always had to be the best. The expectation that he would win gold in the Arena Games and bring honour to his country. Worst of all, the expectation that he would never lose.

Of course, he had lost before. That's how one improved in sword fighting. But he tried his fucking darnedest to not to lose when everyone's attention was on him. Because he had seen athletes who didn't live up to everyone's expectations; they were discarded. The public was only your friend when you did what they expected and wanted. One small mistake and the entire nation would turn their backs on you.

His parents had told him to do it for himself, but it mutated into something completely different than when he had originally started. Competitions used to be fun. Lon'qu could see how far he had come and how much more he had to go to beat the next strongest opponent. But now that he was at the top, trying to fend off everyone trying to take his spot was exhausting, especially if he wasn't having a great day.

Despite all of the pressures, Lon'qu loved Han'do. He almost didn't know anything else since it had consumed his entire life like most career athletes. But going to classes gave him a chance to focus on something else for a little bit and work towards something that wasn't Han'do.

Realistically, he wasn't going to keep competing forever. He would have to retire one day and he didn't really see himself coaching other people for the rest of his life. It was his mother who suggested he study something that was employable after he was done. Engineering seemed like a good field to study. Thanks to his mom's strict tutelage, Lon'qu was competent in a classroom. So was Min. (His mom never let Lon'qu nor Min outside until they were done with their homework sans mistakes. People often believed that his self-discipline was from his father who was also a well-known Han'do swordmaster. Nope. It was his mom.)

Lon'qu finally arrived at the main engineering building and locked up his bike. It felt odd not having all his Han'do gear on him. The only thing he had on him was his backpack. A couple people whispered about him as he climbed up the stairs to go to his first lecture of the semester: Probability and Statistics. It would've been nice to graduate with the class he had entered with, but being a professional athlete wasn't forgiving to the time demand of a university student.

There were already some students in the lecture hall and Lon'qu recognized one or two faces, which he assumed were retaking the course. He took a seat in the middle of the lecture hall near the end of the row and placed his bag in the seat beside him. The professor looked up from his podium to Lon'qu and then back to his slides.

About ten minutes into the lecture, someone snuck in. It was girl with shoulder length silver hair and tan skin. Lon'qu studied her for a brief moment before going back to the professor rambling about midterm dates and how they were fixed. She was obviously an international student. She was probably from out east. Plegia, to be specific.

The Plegian student looked around and stared at him. She ducked down as she searched for a seat, hoping it wouldn't disrupt the lecture, but people were watching her anyway. Even the professor.

"Miss, you might want to take a syllabus," said the professor, offering her a booklet.

"Oh," said the student. She turned around, accepted the syllabus, and muttered a pathetic apology for being late.

The Plegian student wore a blush as she made her way to his row. She grabbed his bag and dropped it in his lap. "It's rude to save a seat for a friend who's not going to show up." And she sat down.

Lon'qu was speechless, not that he had much to say to his classmates usually, but she had just called him 'rude' when she had done something much ruder. And there were tons of other seats at the back!

Lon'qu blinked at the Plegian student as he slid his backpack onto the floor. The Plegian student continued to be disruptive and then cursed under her breath, "Fuck, I forgot my pencil case. Eugh. I should've never video chatted my friends so late at night."

She turned to him. "Can I borrow a pen?"

No, thought Lon'qu, you just called me rude for nothing. "Sure."

"Thank you so much. I got so lost on campus," she whispered.

He leaned away from her and dug in his bag for a pen. Then he paused for a moment. Who in their right mind did math in pen? She was obviously crazy. He offered her the pen and she took it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He wanted that pen back. It was a nice pen. Even if they were cheap and could afford to buy thousands of them.

"Wait."

Lon'qu was starting to become annoyed with the girl.

"Aren't you…?" The Plegian girl pointed his pen at him.

Damn. A fangirl.

"I saw your commercial. At the airport," she said excitedly. "Some girl said you were her 'hubby' and was squealing into her phone. I think she was one of your fans."

He cleared his throat and pointed to the front of the lecture hall. The professor had begun covering course material.

"Right, sorry."

Not even three seconds later, she swore again. "I'm not even in this class. What course is this?"

"Probability and Statistics for civil engineering?" said Lon'qu.

"Damn it. I thought it was Human Evolution and Affairs," she cursed. The Plegian girl stood and left the lecture hall, disrupting the class again.

And she took his pen.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'll be aiming to update every two Monday. So the next update day will be July 2, 2017.


	3. Crossing Paths

**Chapter 3: Crossing Paths**

Gold wasn't something that had been out of Chrom's reach. Heck, he'd been finishing on the podium ever since he started competitive swimming and quit trying to play the cello (which he had, not zero, but negative talent for). But getting gold in nationals and at international meets was different from getting gold at the Arena Games. He had yet to make his official athletic debut at the Games. The competitive side of him was not going to allow him walk away with anything less than a gold medal.

"One last run and then we need to leave the pool," said Frederick.

Chrom put down the water bottle and pulled off the towel hanging around his neck. "What's after?" He stood up from the step up to the diving board.

"A surprise," said his coach.

He didn't like the sounds of that. Frederick's surprises weren't something you looked forward too.

"I'll be sure to swim extra slow." Chrom snapped on his swim cap and stretched his goggles over his head. His vision was fogged. He slipped two fingers him and wiped off the fog.

Anti-fog. What a lie.

Chrom climbed onto the diving board with a dark five on it. The texture of the board always felt rough under his pruned feet when he stepped up, but it was also got his blood pumping. It made him focus on the water in between the swimming lanes. (Those plastic floaties hurt like a bitch when you ran into them.)

"Last chance, Chrom."

That's what Frederick always said when they did their last drill. A reminder that it was his last chance to do everything right today. He needed to push. And he was damn set on showing good results this season. The Universiade in Chon'sin was just around the corner too.

"Got it, coach."

"Get ready."

Chrom adjusted his footing, every muscle tense, waiting for the signal.

"Set."

He knelt down, his fingertips touching the edge of the board.

Frederick blew his whistle and Chrom dove into the blue abyss. The water enveloped him and challenged him once again.

Chrom had a love-hate relationship with butterfly. It was the most challenging and tiring out of all four strokes. He had hated it like the majority of swimmers, but once he had built up enough muscle and stamina to hone butterfly, he fell in love with it. There was a power to the stroke that made it intense and empowering.

It didn't take long for Chrom to reach the end. His hands touched the edge of the pool and he kicked off the wall. One-hundred fifty metres to go.

Water erupted every time he came up for air. A trail of waves emanated behind him.

Once he reached the other end, he knew he had to pick up the pace. It was an instinct that Frederick had ingrained in him. Chrom's body had become accustomed to Frederick's rigorous training over the years, yet he still felt like he was going to die at the end of each day anyway.

Two more laps.

Not much went through Chrom's head when he swam his final drills. Everything was second nature. He spent more time in the pool than on solid land. Sometimes, he couldn't even walk properly because Frederick trained him so hard.

Last lap.

His lungs screamed. His limbs ached. He was god damned hungry.

Just a couple more strokes… and finally, he extended and felt the concrete wall of the pool. Chrom erupted from the water, sucking in a huge breath, and looked up at Frederick. He yanked off his goggles.

"That felt faster than usual," said Chrom in between heavy pants. "I know it was."

Frederick stared at the stop watch and then at Chrom and then back at the stop watch.

"Fuck. Don't tell me it was slower," said Chrom.

"That's forty push-ups," said Frederick.

"Gods. You've got to be kidding me—"

"Fifty."

Chrom pursed his lips and barely managed to pull himself out of the pool. Frederick and his stupid no swearing rule. He multiplied the number of letters in the swear word by ten push-ups. If you protest, that was an additional ten push-ups.

Water dripped off of his body as he got into plank position. He hoped he wouldn't slip in the puddle forming underneath him. "Can you let me off this one time?"

"No. You know the rules."

He groaned as he finished his fifth push-up. "Coach, did you know swearing helps with pain?"

"Yes, I've read the study. Eight," counted Frederick. "You're going to have to hurry up or you'll be late for your surprise."

Chrom strained to form the words. "What is it? Just tell me."

"Photo shoot with your sponsors."

"Do I get to wear clothes?"

"I promised them your nudes, so no."

"You're whoring me out again."

"That's another seventy push-ups, Chrom."

"I will do push-ups all day if it means that I don't have to photograph naked again."

"It sounds like you would enjoy going early to the photo shoot more than a hundred twenty push-ups, so let's go early." Frederick smiled. "There is no shame in being confident about the male physique."

Chrom hated Frederick's pleasant, friendly smiles. They never meant any good.

"Get up, Chrom. Let's go."

"I'll do my push-ups," said Chrom quickly. "You've made me into a piece of meat."

"I'll tell you your record if you get up."

He immediately stood up. His arms were even more sore. Tomorrow was going to suck.

"What was it?" asked Chrom, following behind Frederick.

Frederick offered him his towel and Chrom hung it over his shoulders. Chrom grabbed his water bottle and took a long drink from it.

"53.88."

Chrom's heart skipped a beat. "Serious?"

"Yes."

"That's a new personal best for 200m butterfly after a day's worth of training with you."

"It is."

"Coach, if I swim under good conditions, I could beat Gregor Ivanov at the Games."

"Indeed. Keep working hard, Chrom."

"I would say I'm about to die from happiness, but I can't feel anything."

"Gold isn't for the faint of heart, Chrom."

"I know, but I think even Arena gold medalists like to be able to feel their limbs once in a while."

* * *

Spring was starting to warm the days, but it was still chilly in Lon'qu's opinion. He zipped up his jacket as he sat on his bicycle seat waiting for Min. Being a part-time student, he'd thought he'd have more time, but the couches and trainers at the training centre ensured that every minute of his life was utilized at the optimum to train him for the Games coming up. He checked his watch to see if Min would be done soon.

12:23 PM. Two more minutes until classes ended. He added another fifteen minutes for Min to finish socializing with everyone to get his ass out here.

They still needed to grab lunch. Lon'qu had been told he needed to babysit Min, for his best friend had zero self-control. Sometimes, Lon'qu wondered if Min purposely behaved the way he did because Lon'qu was around to ensure he didn't get into too much trouble. But then he'd recall their childhood and that thought was always dashed away.

Lon'qu tugged on the visor of his baseball cap to ensure the hat was snug on his head. He adjusted his sunglasses and mentally prepared for the onslaught of students who would be coming out soon. He could change his outfits and hats everyday but also changing his bike and backpack was unrealistic. That was just ridiculous and wasteful. Unfortunately, more often than not, Min and Lon'qu were recognized for their bikes.

As soon as it was 12:40 PM, Lon'qu called Min. He usually picked up within three to four rings. Not Min. It always took a couple full calls going straight to voice mail for Min to pick up. Lon'qu gave up after getting Min's voice mail twice. That would be enough for Min to get the message.

For safety measures, Lon'qu texted Min. _Three and home._ (Three minutes and I'm heading home.)

Within two minutes, Min came out of the building surrounded by several classmates. "Lon'qu! You really need to work on your texting skills," said Min.

"You know what I mean. I'm not going to write more if I don't need to," said Lon'qu.

His classmates stared at Lon'qu, their eyes twinkling with admiration. Min glanced over both his shoulders to check on his starstruck friends.

"Lon-Lon." Min skipped over to Lon'qu. "They want a group pic."

Lon'qu glowered at Min behind his sunglasses. Min knew he hated fan service. Then the words of their PR manager echoed in his head: be nice. Lon'qu did his best to smile—a twitch of his lips really.

"Sure," Lon'qu forced out. He got off of his bike and set the kickstand down. He pulled off his hat and hung it on the handle bar and tucked his sunglasses into the collar of his t-shirt.

Min beamed. "I told you he'd do it."

Everyone scurried over to Lon'qu's side to arrange themselves for the photo. Min slung an arm around Lon'qu's shoulder. Lon'qu awkwardly placed an arm around the girl standing on his other side. She looked like she was about to scream from sheer joy. Min held out his phone in front of everyone.

"Smile, everyone!" shouted Min.

Everyone except Lon'qu smiled in the photo. Min's smile faded on the screen and he lowered the phone.

"Lon'qu, smile, damn it." Min elbowed his socially awkward friend. "Smile!"

Lon'qu tried to smile and it came out a grimace. The phone made the distinct sound of a camera shutter.

Great. They were done.

"Can we take a picture of just you two?" asked one of the female friend.

"There are tons on the Internet," said Lon'qu.

"Of course!" said Min.

Everyone left the two young swordmasters' sides to take a picture and in the process, someone knocked over Lon'qu's bike. Lon'qu sighed and grumbled under his breath.

"Ready?" asked the girl.

"Always." Min was already posed beside Lon'qu, who felt more like a prop in all of Min's photos. This was no different.

Several photos later, more people showed with their phones. Lon'qu groaned. Min noticed Lon'qu's irritation growing.

Min waved his hands in the air. "Okay, everyone! We need to head out." He picked up Lon'qu's bike and leaned it on the kickstand. He proceeded to pick his Lon'qu's hat and brushed off the dirt on it and offered it to Lon'qu. "I need to grab mine. I left it near the music building. It confuses people when I don't leave my bike near my classes."

"Hmm," said Lon'qu. He climbed onto his bike and took his cap back and pulled it onto his head. He also slipped on his sunglasses again.

"Wait, wait, wait!" whined Min, grabbing Lon'qu's backpack.

He glared at Min from over his shoulder.

"Oh, don't give me that. Give me a ride."

Some nerve. He sure as hell wasn't going to fuel the homoerotic fantasies of the netizens. Lon'qu slapped Min's hand away. "You can run there."

"Now you're just being a dick!" shouted Min as Lon'qu biked away with a smug smile.

When Lon'qu approached the music hall, he spotted Min's bike tucked away near the end of the bike rack against the ivy covered wall. He slowed down while swinging his leg off the seat and balanced on the one pedal until he jumped off. Lon'qu set the kickstand of his bike to unlock Min's bike.

He already knew the passcode of the lock. Min wasn't always the most thoughtful person ever. Lon'qu squatted down beside the bike and spun the numbers to 1, 2, 3, and 4 in order. If Lon'qu hadn't said anything, Min would've left the lock at 0, 0, 0, 0. The lock unlocked with a twist. He wrapped the cable lock around the frame of the bike and lifted it up over his shoulder to set it on the main path for Min.

Lon'qu held Min's bike beside his own and checked down the path. He lowered his sunglasses. In the far distance, he saw his best friend running towards him. While he waited, he observed his surroundings.

At the base of the stairs leading up to the entrance of the music hall, a girl with moonlight hair took a sip of her latte. Then she took another. And another. Lon'qu wondered if she was going go in or not. She didn't move. Finally, she turned on her heels and walked towards him. He didn't get a look at her face when she passed him because she had pulled her phone out and had her head lowered.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," murmured Lon'qu. She felt familiar.

A gasp. "Were you staring at a girl?"

"No!" snapped Lon'qu. "When did you get here?"

"I run pretty fast."

"Take your bike, traitor."

"Thanks."

Suddenly, Lon'qu lurched forward. "Hey, you two! Where are you headed?"

He didn't need to look to confirm who it was. There was only one person who ran up between Min and him with arms wrapped around their necks.

"Ke'ri, what's up?" asked Min.

Lon'qu grabbed her wrist and unwounded her arm from his neck. He mounted his bike and pedaled away. He was not in the best mood to deal with her. Min would deal with her. Behind him, Min and Ke'ri stopped and watched Lon'qu bike away.

Ke'ri pouted. "Is he ever going to stop throwing a tantrum? I said I was sorry. It's not sexy when a man holds a grudge."

"Lon'qu doesn't hold grudges. He sulks."

"True." Ke'ri tapped her lips with an index finger.

"And I mean you kinda cheated on him," said Min.

"Hardly."

"Mmm…I dunno, Ri-Ri. Seeing other guys kinda counts as cheating."

"We grew apart. I can't help that. We were both busy with training. And the distance and time difference didn't help. I got lonely. And I told him it wasn't really working."

"You told him that after there were pictures of you and…no offense, but I can't remember all their names."

"If a male athlete does it, it's fine. And if a female athlete does it, she's a slut. And they were friends, Min."

"I never said you were a slut, Ke'ri and I'm not implying that. You know that," said Min pleasantly. "You're free to do whatever you want with whoever you want. But something went wrong and Lon'qu got hurt."

She shifted on her feet and glanced at Min before focusing on Lon'qu's retreating form. She sighed and then she grinned. "Hey, Min. You wanna go to the new dessert cafe? I hear that their matcha parfait is amazing."

"I'd love to, but I can't." Min swung a leg over his bike seat and wound up the pedals. "Besides, you can't even eat any of that. Lon'qu would kill me if I ruined your strict diet."

"So he does care," she said flatly, crossing her arms.

"Ke'ri, give him some space."

She huffed, evidently unhappy with the obvious solution. "You think he'll come around?"

"It's Lon'qu."

"Exactly. That's why I'm worried."

"I'm gonna go now. Gotta make sure Lon'qu isn't sobbing and oozing liquid from every orifice on his face. Not good for the country's morale if Chon'sin's most beloved toughest swordmaster is crying like a baby in public when all his competitions are around the corner. Then again, maybe making him look squishier help his image."

"I don't think he's capable of crying. Let alone emotions other than stoicism," grumbled Ke'ri. "You know when we were dating he hardly talked? He's such a frustrating boyfriend."

Min burst out laughing. "He used to cry like a baby all the time. You just didn't see him during his emotional phase. I think he's still growing out of being a brooding teenager at the moment though. Anyway. Looking good, Ke'ri. I'm gonna head off."

"Don't let anyone else have him in the meanwhile!" Ke'ri called after Min.

* * *

 **Sully:** _Remember to be careful when you're heading back home tonight! Not sure if you read the email, but there's a filthy creep harassing girls on campus late at night._

 **Yui:** _Yeah! I'd totally kick his ass with my sword for you but I have club responsibilities on Tuesday nights. :(:(:(_

Robin smiled at the messages in the group chat from her new housemates. It was nice having people dote on her. Her best friends, Henry and Tharja, did that back at home too, but not being in the same city made it hard to know what was going on at all times.

Sully was a bit of a slob and wasn't the best at cleaning after herself. The odour of her dirty laundry was atrocious, but Robin adored her no-nonsense, blunt attitude. Yui loved hogging the washroom to make sure her adorable bob and natural makeup was perfect as possible. It was a pain in the evenings when Yui was showering for an hour and Robin needed to pee, but she made up for it by sharing her delicious Chon'sinese cooking.

She would've never gone out of her way to be friends with such people, so she was glad to have an opportunity to meet them in her life. And they both really cared about her having a good time during her exchange.

The clock at the back of the tutorial room counted down the last ten seconds. Robin could tell which students were going to do well and poorly in the exam based on their facial expressions and body language. One of the students in the back gave her a 'how the fuck is this math?' look.

"Pencils down!" she had gotten lucky and managed to get two TA jobs. It felt weird being on the other side of testing.

One by one, the students handed in their tests and left the room. Robin collected her things, tests in her arms, turned off the lights, and locked the door behind her. The other TAs saw her and asked if she wanted to join them for a drink. She politely declined and excused herself. Her mother was going call soon.

It was like her mother knew she was done because her phone went off the moment she stepped out of the math building. Robin balanced the exams in one arm and fished out her earphones in the jacket pocket on the opposite side. She managed to connect everything and answer.

"Hey, Mom," Robin answered.

"Hey, sweetie, how're you doing?" asked her mom.

"Good. Just finished running a test."

"Are you still on campus? It's really late."

"Umm…" Robin checked her phone. "It's 9:07. I guess it is late."

"Be safe!"

"I will. How's everything back home?"

"Fine. Avie's back from Rosanne and she's performing with Dad's orchestra."

Robin snorted. "Everyone in the music community didn't cry nepotism?"

"No, actually. They were the ones who recommended it."

"That's great. Avie has a great voice."

"Are you eating?"

Robin laughed. "A lot. Yui, my housemate, feeds me too much."

"Remember to learn some recipes before you come back home!"

"Will do, Mom. Oh, hey. Do you remember someone named Emmeryn Exalt?"

"Is that the lovely blonde girl from Ylisse? Piano, right?"

"Yeah. Her. She's a music prof here."

"Time flies."

She chuckled. "Yeah…it sure does. She wants us to have lunch some time."

"Why don't you?"

"Because Mom."

"It's not like she's going to ask you to play. She's just asking for lunch. But if she is asking you to play, make sure you're paid for your time. You're not a cheap pianist."

Robin scoffed as she dragged her feet across campus to get to the main street. "Are you selling me out again?"

"Hardly, daughter. Just know your worth."

"Well, that's too bad for everyone because I'm not playing."

"I know. Do you want to say hi to your dad?"

"No. Oh! The bus is pulling up. Sorry, gotta run!" Robin lied and hung up. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to put on a carefully curated playlist sans classical. She took her time, passing the few select remaining students, and strolled to the main pathway lined with cherry blossom trees.

* * *

Lon'qu had to return to campus for an evening class. Having the one evening class allowed him to have a lot more free days during the week. (Even though it made Tuesday much harder since he had so many classes that day.) They had just finished and Lon'qu quickly packed his bag. The novelty of who he was had finally worn off in this class and people asked for photos or autographs less often. The students, however, did try to befriend him and depending on how much social energy he had, he yielded.

He was quick to leave the classroom to head to the bike rack outside. It was still fairly cold at night. He unlocked his bike and turned it around to bike back to the Arena Games Training Centre. As much as he enjoyed the security of a cap, sunglasses, and sometimes, a black sickness mask, it was too dark to see with all the added shadows of his disguise.

Although he was at the corner of campus, it didn't take long for him to pass the music building. When he reached the main intersection of campus, his phone rang and Lon'qu stopped to answer it. It was most likely his mom. When he saw the phone screen, it confirmed his suspicions.

"Hello?" asked Lon'qu.

"Hello, son."

"Father, why isn't Mom the one calling?" asked Lon'qu.

"She caught a cold. She's sleeping right now, but you know how she is. She needs daily updates on how you two are doing," said his father.

He frowned at the news. "How'd she get sick? She never gets sick." In the history of Lon'qu's life, his mom had only been sick three times.

"She is getting older and I think her students are all pretty sick this year," said his father.

"She's been thirty-seven for the past eleven years. Mom doesn't get older."

His father chuckled and Lon'qu laughed along.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a hooded figure with a bowed head cross the street in front of him. No backpack or anything. His eyes followed the sketchy man.

"Is my other son doing alright?" asked his father.

"Min? I'm sure he's fine."

"Where are you?"

"Still on campus. Had an evening class."

"I see. And you two are in good condition?"

"Yes."

Lon'qu continued to watch the odd man glance around before continuing to the main path of campus. Something felt off. He shrugged it off.

"Okay." His father cleared his throat. "Good night then."

"Good night. Tell Mom to get better," said Lon'qu.

"I will."

His father hung up before he could. Lon'qu tucked away his phone and continued on his way.

Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the air. Lon'qu's heart lurched. He recalled the email about a man harassing the female students on campus. Fuck. The perpetrator had literally strolled past him. Lon'qu sped to the source to save the poor girl, but when he arrived at the cherry blossom path, he didn't know who to save.

"You filthy son of a bitch," hissed the a girl. She had a fistful of his hair in one hand and the other hand punched him square in the face.

The pervert was on his knees, clutching his groin. The girl with moonlight hair kicked him in the crotch again. He cried in agony, causing Lon'qu to wince.

"How dare you fucking harass the poor girls on this campus! You've picked the wrong girl tonight." The girl huffed, throwing her bag down beside the spilled pile of what looked like tests. "I'm already in a shit mood tonight and you think you can fucking grab my ass?"

"You crazy—" The rest of his words were muffled when she punched him again.

The man curled up on his side and the girl mercilessly kicked the man while he was down. "How dare you! Scum like you are the reason why it's impossible for women to walk around at night!" Her foot dug into the man's guts again.

Lon'qu rarely felt fear because he knew how to defend himself whether it was with a sword or hand-to-hand combat. But the rage of this one girl was chilling. Gods, she had so much power in her hips to be able to kick that hard. It made his blood run hot.

"Shit stains like you are the reason why I had to learn kickboxing for two years when I could've hung out with my friends after school because my parents wanted me to be able to defend myself! I sure am defending myself, aren't I, now?" shouted the girl.

The attacker tried to crawl away. She stomped a foot on his back, stopping him from escaping. Before she could be put away for murder, Lon'qu stumbled off his bike and restrained the girl from kicking in the man's face. He already knew the attacker would not be having any children after this. She made sure of that.

"What the fuck!" she screamed.

She struggled in his arms as he lifted her up and set her a couple meters away from the man who was coughing up blood. The moment he released her, she spun around to attack him and he blocked her kick.

He was right. There was a lot of power in her hips. He held onto her leg to immobilize her.

"You're going to kill him if you keep beating him up," said Lon'qu calmly.

The girl glared at him, trying to pull her leg free with no success.

"Even if he deserves it," added Lon'qu. He pointed to the man with his chin. "He's not going anywhere. I'll call the police and they'll come and deal with it."

"Fine. Let go," said the girl.

Lon'qu did as he was told and released her leg. As she collected her things, Lon'qu called the police and reported the details. It took the police a while to get to their location, but while they waited, she stood near the man she had pummeled and studied her hands. She closed and opened her hands, her knuckles red from her punches.

"Ice them when you go home. It'll help," said Lon'qu.

"It doesn't matter…" The rest of her words were drowned out by the sirens of the police cars.


	4. Tangle

**Chapter 4: Tangle**

The police station was louder than Robin had expected or maybe that was because of who she was with. She sat there beside the male student who pulled her off of the campus pervert. The adrenaline had long worn off and now, she was exhausted.

It was difficult to identify know what had come over her. Tharja grabbed her ass all the time, so it wasn't something she was unfamiliar with. But when she realized that Tharja was several tens of thousand miles away, the first thing Robin did was punch.

"Lon'qu Sun, can we get one more photo? My wife is a huge fan," asked Officer Xi, who was obviously neglecting his responsibilities. "And a couple autographs before you go."

Silently, the male student nodded. "Of course."

Officer Xi came around the table and Lon'qu stood up. He forced on a small smile and the police officer snapped the photo on his phone. Behind them, there was a crowd of both officers and late-night hooligans forming.

"Thank you for all your hard work," said Officer Xi. He proceeded to shake Lon'qu's hand.

Robin noticed that Lon'qu didn't look comfortable with all the attention. She sighed impatiently, wanting to go home. She prayed that she wasn't in too much trouble. It had been self-defense. Sort of.

She waited quietly, staring at her hands, and pursed her lips. There was a reason why her parents only allowed her to do kickboxing for two years: her father was worried about her hands. He valued her hands more than probably her as a whole. She hadn't expected her body to remember that much, but considering she had spent five days a week at the kickboxing gym for two years, it wasn't surprising some of the moves were still ingrained in her even several years later. She missed the cathartic release of her stress in kickboxing.

There was a throbbing in her hands that Robin knew wasn't good news. Who cared though…she wasn't playing anymore. Massaging her hands, she checked to see if they were done freaking out over the student beside her. When it finally cleared up, Lon'qu took his seat beside Robin and Officer Xi scurried back around the table to sit across from them to fill out the report.

Robin leaned towards him. "You're kinda a big deal, huh?"

"Han'do," said Lon'qu.

"That was very elaborative," said Robin flatly.

"Sir, could I have some ice?" inquired Lon'qu.

"Hmm?" Officer Xi looked up from the keyboard. "Oh, yes. Of course!" He called over another officer to ask him to bring some ice. "You're lucky that Lon'qu Sun was just around the corner to save you, Miss."

She blinked several times and cocked her head to the side with a polite smile. Did she hear that right?

"He's the number one swordmaster in Chon'sin. Probably in the world, and he's going to take the gold at the Arena Games." Officer Xi gave Lon'qu a thumbs up. "We're rooting for you!"

"Thank you," murmured Lon'qu.

"Actually, he just pulled me off of the pervert," corrected Robin.

Officer Xi stared at her and then burst out laughing. "That's cute, Miss."

"So, do you want to tell me what happened, Mr. Sun?" asked the officer.

"Umm…" Lon'qu glanced over at Robin. "What she said."

Someone finally returned with an ice pack and handed it to Lon'qu. He mumbled a thanks and placed the ice pack in her hands before wordlessly turning back to the police officer.

"I heard a scream—"

"Wasn't me," interjected Robin.

"She was…defending herself," said Lon'qu.

"I understand that you need to protect your image, but this will all be confidential. You can tell us the truth," said the officer. "I mean, you've caught the Shu'an U campus pervert. We've been trying to get him for a couple weeks now."

Robin rolled her eyes as she pressed the ice pack on her knuckles. She couldn't tell what hurt more—the cold of the ice pack or her damaged hands.

"He's telling the truth," grumbled Robin. "I kicked his ass for grabbing my ass."

"Right," said Officer Xi. "You seem a little small to be able to take down a man."

"Her hips," said Lon'qu.

Robin frowned and turned to him. Her hips. What the hell was he going on about?

Lon'qu noted that she was staring at him. She watched the realization of how odd those two words sounded out of context slowly dawn on his face. He opened his mouth to try to explain himself, but he was quickly cut off by the arrival of a loud woman.

"Lon'qu, not another word!"

A middle-aged woman with a short haircut dressed in business casual in the middle of the night stepped forward. "Your PR manager is here to save the day! I'm Lan'fei, Lon'qu's PR manager."

"Can I go home now?" asked Robin.

When Robin didn't think it could get more hectic, a large burly, tan man arrived. He gently pulled Lan'fei away from in between Robin and Lon'qu to behind him.

Immediately, Lon'qu stood up from his seat. "Coach."

"Never thought you'd be the one causing trouble." His coach chuckled, patting Lon'qu on the back. "Relax. We'll be home before we know it. Lan'fei will deal with the kerfuffle."

"Basilio, get out of the way." Lan'fei tried to push Basilio away, but he was far too large and didn't budge.

A headache started to throb in Robin's temple. She glared at Lon'qu. This was all his fault.

* * *

Lon'qu woke up when he felt the weight distribution of his bed shift. He squinted over his shoulder to see Min lying beside him. Min never woke up before him unless had nightmares.

Before Lon'qu could ask if Min was okay, his friend stuck his glaringly bright phone in front his face, blinding him first thing in the morning. The sound that came out of Lon'qu was a mix between a groan and a hiss.

"Dude. You're the main headline on the news. You saved a girl from being raped. Why didn't you tell me?" Min jabbed at his side with his finger.

It tickled. The shit was doing it on purpose knowing that he was ticklish there. Lon'qu twisted away and pulled the blanket over his head. "Go away, Min."

"Tell me what happened!" Min continued to poke his ribs while climbing all over him like a child.

Lon'qu growled and shoved him off the bed. The tickler rolled off the bed unceremoniously and pouted at him from the floor.

"Let me sleep! I got in around three in the morning!" snapped Lon'qu. Then, he crawled back into his blanket.

"It's six," said Min, picking himself up from the ground.

Lon'qu's eyes snapped open and he threw off the covers. "What the hell, Min! We have to be at the field in twenty minutes!" He jumped out of bed and scurried about trying to find his shorts and shirt.

Min watched Lon'qu while eating a protein bar. He chewed and then smiled. "This is new. It's kinda amusing. I think I like frazzled Lon-lon."

Lon'qu had managed to find his shirt and pulled it on. When he popped his head out of the shirt, he walked over to Min to punch him in the arm before heading to the washroom.

"Ow!"

"Why didn't you wake me? I wake you up every morning!"

"I assumed you needed the sleep," Min called out to him. "Do you want a protein bar?

"Shut up before I make you choke on your protein bar!"

"Lon-lon is grumps."

The two arrived _just_ on time and finished their morning laps with the rest of the Han'do team. Lon'qu wanted to go back to bed. He didn't even care everyone around him was whispering about him this morning. With Min beside him, he dragged his feet to eat breakfast and head over to the gym for a full day of weight training. At breakfast, Min drilled him on questions, but Lon'qu didn't have the energy to answer. He yawned and fed his friend curt answers.

"So what happened?" demanded Min. "Tell me!"

"Later."

"You're killing me here." Min pointed his spoon accusingly at Lon'qu.

Lon'qu sighed. Today was going to suck. He didn't get nearly enough sleep and Min was wearing down his patience faster than usual.

"Who was it?"

"International student."

As Lon'qu recalled the night before, the international student—Robin (which he only found out much later in the evening which was extended because of Basilio and Lan'fei squabbling about)—seemed to have a lot of anger pent up in her. The pervert messed with her at the wrong time and got the blunt of her rage. Or maybe she was angry because they had wasted her time and twisted some convoluted story about how Lon'qu saved the day and the man had tripped over and smashed his face on the concrete. Maybe that was more believable and it helped the pervert save face that a tiny Plegian girl didn't nearly kill him for grabbing her ass.

"You're not the type to pummel someone from the brink of death though. You don't even kill bugs. So tell me what happened," begged Min.

Robin must've done some martial arts at some point because her form and power in her kicks were something. Maybe it was adrenaline. Maybe it was a mix of both.

"She had strong hips," said Lon'qu.

"Huh?" asked Min.

"She had strong hips," Lon'qu repeated, yawning.

"What does that even mean? Were you trying to figure out whether she had good child-bearing hips?"

Lon'qu flushed. "No. You and your filthy mind. It's not surprising why your attention span is worse than a koi fish. Her kicks had a lot of power to them."

"Oh." Min nodded. Then he came back with a sharp remark. "Of course you'd be turned on by the amount of power a woman has in her hips. It's no wonder you're awkward around women."

He shot Min a glare, telling him to leave him alone.

"Do you know what she's studying?" asked Min.

Lon'qu chewed on his food for a moment and considered the question. He had seen her standing in front of the music hall before. At the police station, she sat there checking her hands over and over again like her life depended on it.

"I think she might be a music student," said Lon'qu. "Something with her hands."

"So you mean…all the instruments," Min said flatly. "You're so boring, Lon-lon!"

"Go find a new best friend then," said Lon'qu.

"Maybe I will."

Lon'qu scoffed.

"You're right. Everyone else is boring. And I need to look after you."

* * *

Robin checked her watch to confirm that she was running late. She cursed under her breath and shoved her feet into her sneakers. The gears of the lock turned and unlocked when Robin pressed the small button on the door lock of the main entrance. If she ran, she might be able to catch the subway. Its frequency was higher than the bus. Robin turned the door handle to bolt out.

"Wait!" Yui grabbed her arm.

"Yui? I'm late. Can it wait?" Robin shifted between her feet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Yui.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I kicked his ass. Besides, it was a couple days ago." Robin smiled.

"Do you want Sully and I to meet you on campus later tonight? We can all head home together after," said Yui.

Robin checked her watch again and looked back at Yui. She didn't look like she was going to take 'no' for an answer. "Alright. I'll message you later, 'kay?"

Her housemate smiled. Yui had such an adorable smile. She also had a sweet disposition. Robin understood why boys were lining up to date her.

"Okay. Good luck!"

With sprinting the entire way there, Robin barely caught the subway to Shu'an U campus. She heaved and panted, trying to catch her breath. Gods, she was out of shape. Really out of shape. Her legs were sore from that night too. She hadn't used a lot of those muscles in a long time and her hands hurt too, but she pretended they didn't. It didn't matter—she was retired.

Well, _she_ decided that she was retired, but the world didn't know that. She didn't come out and say it in an interview or anything. Robin had kind of vanished after walking off the stage that evening.

The subway announced all the stops on the way to Shu'an University and people got on and off like clockwork. Her body rocked gently with the gradual acceleration and deceleration of the train with only a vinyl hand grip to hold her in place. The map with blinking LED lights flanked by ads counted down the stops for her.

' _Arriving at Shu_ _'an University. Shu'an University_ ,' said the train.

The subway came to smooth stop and Robin headed to the university. She checked her watch again while running up the stairs. 12:24 PM. She had six minutes to get to music building.

* * *

Emmeryn waited at the front of the music building for Robin. There was still a couple minutes before their promised rendezvous time of 12:30 PM. In the distance, Emmeryn spotted a distinct student with silver hair sprinting down the cherry blossom walkway. She made a sharp turn and waved at Emmeryn when she saw her.

Robin arrived out of breath and bent over. "Oh…gods…so…out of shape." Panting, she straightened up. "Am I late?"

The professor smiled at her and pulled out her phone to check. "You still had an extra minute. Are you training for the Universiade too?"

"The what?" Robin huffed.

"The Universiade. It's an international multi-sport competition that's held every two years. It's being held in Shu'an this year and my brother is participating," said Emmeryn. Robin gave her a look that confirmed to Emmeryn that she had no idea what she was talking about. She tried again. "It's the sports equivalent to the Arabella Competition that's held in Rosanne every year."

"Ohhh." The young woman nodded, finally making the connection.

Emmeryn knew that Robin would be more familiar with the Arabella Competition since she had won first in piano for every age division she had entered since childhood. The judges at the competition were often biased to favour their own students since it made their own respective schools and academies look good, but Robin had taken everything home anyway. A true testament to her genius.

"So, I would like to first thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to have lunch with me," said Emmeryn.

"Not at all," said Robin. "I should be thanking you. As a prof here, you're probably far busier than me."

"I made a reservation at a nice restaurant here. They specialize in curry. Have you tried curry in Chon'sin yet?"

Robin shook her head.

"I think you'll enjoy in." Emmeryn linked her arms with the young pianist and led the way.

If Emmeryn hadn't made a reservation, they would've waited for a long time. Today was no different, the restaurant was packed, but oddly enough, it was never cacophonic and loud. The restaurant was on the fifth floor of the building. It was high enough to people-watch but not high enough to enjoy the cityscape. Black with highlights of red and gold was the aesthetic of the place. Compared to Ylissean palettes, it was strikingly different.

While Emmeryn had already decided on getting the pork cutlet curry, Robin hid behind her menu. She didn't rush her. She simply waited for Robin to choose.

"I don't know what to pick," murmured Robin. "I think I'll just go with the original, I guess."

"Are you sure? You can take more time."

"No, it's fine."

The waiter came back and they ordered the dishes. After, Robin awkwardly glanced around the place. She didn't look too comfortable. Emmeryn laughed softly.

"What?" Robin asked.

"You seem so out of your environment," teased Emmeryn.

"And what would my environment be?" inquired Robin.

Emmeryn hummed, taking a moment before answering it. "I've only seen you seated at a piano under bright spotlights—"

"Yup." There was bitterness in her response.

"But what I mean to say is that you're far from home and there's probably a lot to take in. Yes?" asked Emmeryn.

Robin met her eyes. Then, she pursed her lips. "I guess so. It's nice to be somewhere new though."

"Are you enjoying your exchange so far?" asked Emmeryn.

"I am," said Robin.

"I don't recall if I asked you this, but I would've thought you would've majored in music."

"I think a lot of people did. There's a lot of money in stats, actually."

Emmeryn nodded understandingly. They both knew the big question loomed over both their heads. Before she could delve into the question, Robin initiated first.

"So, do you like being a professor?" asked Robin.

"Yes, I was very lucky to get this position," said Emmeryn.

The waiter arrived with their dishes and set them in front of each person. The aroma of curry filled the space between them and diverted the attention. Robin picked up her spoon and mixed some of the rice with the curry. She took a bite and smiled.

"Not bad."

"There's a lot of good restaurants around here. You should check them out with your friends. If you like travelling on your own though, there are restaurants that cater to lone diners too."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Once Emmeryn dug into her own dish, the two grew quiet, occupied with eating. In the middle of the meal, Emmeryn glanced at her bag and Robin followed her gaze. Rumours had circulated this girl since her disappearance from the classical world two years ago. Some said that the pressure and expectations had broken her genius, and she was home, hiding from the world. The genius pianist seated in front of her didn't fit that image at all. Another rumour posited that she lost interest in the piano because she had mastered everything she could. A classical pianist her caliber could only get so far before becoming bored. The darker rumours included that she had turned to drugs and ended up in rehab. Recreational drug use in the music community wasn't something that was unheard of.

"You're probably dying to know, aren't you?" asked Robin.

"To know…?"

"You don't have to pretend to not be curious," said Robin, putting her spoon down. She pulled her braid over her shoulder.

"It would be rude to ask and you don't seem too comfortable sharing what happened two years ago," said Emmeryn.

A short, sarcastic laugh erupted the girl. "Of course not. I'm pretty sure my dad had an aneurysm. Long story short: I'm not playing anymore. I'm trying to move on with my life."

Disappointment sank its fangs into Emmeryn. She did her best to hide it on her face, but Robin probably already saw it.

Music was a love-hate relationship for musicians. There was a constant drive to be better. To create. Endless hours of practice and dedication to perfecting the art of the instrument were dedicated. All that time spent grueling away in a tiny room to obtain the high of the performance. But everyone hit slumps and plateaus. Some gave up. Some kept pushing forward.

Emmeryn had never seen someone as passionate as Robin when it came to playing the piano. She gave true life to the composers' intentions and added her own stylistic flair. It was always subtle, yet no one could ever replicate what she did with her hands. Her soul.

The older pianist recalled reading an article on Robin's debut concerto. In short, the critics called her a 'once-in-a-century pianist'. 'The modern piano poet'. 'Musical clarity and maturity beyond her age'. Her performances were always sold out and expensive.

"Do you still play for fun?" asked Emmeryn carefully.

"Professor—"

"Please. Just call me Emm. We go way back."

"Emm. Playing piano hasn't been a source of fun for me since I was kid," said Robin. "I just did it because I used to think it was the only reason why I lived. But you grow up. Reality hits. And there will always be someone better than me. So, everyone can wait for them. I mean Virion Lefebvre is a pretty damn good pianist. Far more mature in terms of stylistic playing than me. He can have the spotlight."

Robin hadn't touched a piano since the incident, deduced Emmeryn.

"Do you miss it?"

"No. I guess I'm not deserving of music since I don't miss being in hell," said Robin.

Emmeryn offered her a sympathetic smile.

"I have something for you." Emmeryn dug through her leather tote and pulled out a worn book.

* * *

With a perplexed frown, Lon'qu moved his pencil in between his fingers while staring at the math problem in front of him. He was stuck. Sighing, he pulled out his binder from the backpack beside his desk and flipped through the lecture notes to see if the professor had covered this or not. Of course, the professor hadn't. Lon'qu opened his laptop to see if he could find any help on the Internet.

"Lon-lon!"

Lon'qu jumped and dropped his pencil. Irritably, he turned to Min. "What?"

Min laughed like a little mischievous monkey on his bed. "That never gets old."

"Min, I'm trying to do my homework."

"Such a good student."

"If it's not urgent, bother me later."

"So, you know the girl you supposedly saved?"

He opened his mouth to correct him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know what _really_ happened. But all of Chon'sin doesn't. Anyway. I found her!"

"What do you mean?"

Min rolled onto his stomach and typed something into his phone. "I sent you the link. Oh. You put your phone on silent. You shouldn't do that. Mom will get upset that you're ignoring her. I think she's all better from her cold now though."

He wasn't surprised that Min knew more than he did. He also wouldn't be surprised if Min was the favorite son, blood or not.

Lon'qu picked his phone up and saw that there was a text from Min. "Can I check later?"

"Fine. Don't open it. But the girl's name is Robin Grima—"

"Are you stalking people?"

"No. It was just leaked and you know people. Curious creatures."

"Nosy, prying creatures."

"Sure, you could put it that way too."

"She's pretty famous. Maybe just as famous as us in her field."

"Min, spit it out. I have work to do."

"She's like a piano genius or something. But she hasn't been active for two years. Apparently, she had a meltdown during a performance. So then, I found this video online. I wouldn't really call it a meltdown though. She just stopped playing and then walked off stage while the orchestra was still playing and the conductor was flailing. It's kinda funny. There's this gasp from the orchestra. Isn't that neat? Don't I have amazing detective skills?"

"That's it?"

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" huffed Min.

"Min, we talked about this. After dinner until Mom calls, you promised we'd do our schoolwork," said Lon'qu. "Or at least let me do mine."

Min grinned at him.

"What?"

"Wanna know something else?"

"No."

"It has something to do with creepy-crawlers."

Lon'qu perked up at the term Min used to describe bugs. Playing and studying bugs was a favorite childhood pastime, but Han'do took up all his time now.

"What about them?" asked Lon'qu.

"They're doing an insect exhibition this summer at the Nature Museum. You should go."

"By myself?" And get mauled by fans?

"Yeah. They creep me out. Or take a friend."

"No, you're coming with me."

"Okay, I will. _If_ you come out this weekend."

He should've known better. Of course Min would want something in exchange. But he really didn't want to go alone and he really wanted to check out the exhibition. Min was good with people. Him? Not so good.

"Fine. What is it?"

"The Han'do team at school is having an outing this weekend. Let's go," said Min. "Non-members are also allowed to come, so if you're not interesting in the girls on the team, you could meet someone outside of the Han'do world."

Usually, Lon'qu said 'no' before Min could finish his questions because 'no' was the most befitting answer to his ridiculous requests. "Fine. One hour."

"Four."

"One and a half."

Min sat up on his bed. He held out three fingers. "Three."

"No."

"Fine. I won't go with you then. The fangirls can blind you with the camera flashes."

Lon'qu grumbled. "Two."

"Three."

"Two."

A exasperated sigh from Min. "Two and a half."

"Deal."

"Shake on it!"

They did their secret handshake and sealed the deal.

"You do know we'll be there a lot longer than that, right?"

Lon'qu sighed. "I know."

* * *

"Robin!" sang Yui. "Why am I not surprised you're still in the library?"

Robin took her earphones out. "Ah, Yui, I'm so sorry. I was supposed to meet you outside, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, ten minutes ago. I texted you a couple times, but I think you had your phone on silent. What are you doing?"

She capped her red pen and dropped it in her pencil case. She gathered the tests and tapped them on the table top before securing them together with a binder clip. "Marking exams. For the TA job."

"Oh! How'd they do?" asked Yui.

Robin grimaced. "Not so well so far. I don't think these students know to reduce the matrices to echelon form."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Yui smiled.

"Sorry."

Yui set Robin's bag on the table and opened it for her so packing up with go faster. "Oh! Do you play piano?"

She froze.

Yui pulled out the small book Emmeryn had given her earlier at lunch. "Nice. I used to play. I mean, what kid in Chon'sin hasn't taken piano for a couple years?" She flipped through it and said, "This looks like black smears on paper. You must be good to be able to play this."

"I don't play anymore." Robin took the music book and stuck it back in the back along with the rest of her belongings.

"There's a matcha cafe close to here. I don't know if you've been yet. Wanna go?" asked Yui.

Robin relaxed and beamed. "I will never turn down anything matcha-related."

"Oh, by the way, there's a social being held by the Han'do team. I promised I'd bring you because they want to see how hot my Plegian housemate is! So you're coming with."

"Huh?"

"It's on Saturday. Maybe you'll have a fling before you head back home!"

"Yui—"

"Nope! La la la!" Yui covered her ears. "I'm not taking 'no' as an answer!"


End file.
